The stabbing of a police officer and a subsequent high-speed chase where several pedestrians were run down is being investigated as an act of terrorism, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said at a 3 a.m. news conference.

Knecht, standing side by side with representatives of the RCMP, said based on evidence at the scene, and the actions of the suspect “it was determined that these incidents are being investigated as acts of terrorism under section 83.2 of the criminal code.”

Knecht also confirmed that an ISIS flag was discovered in the vehicle the suspect was driving when he rammed, then stabbed the police officer — and that the flag is part of the investigation.

The attack began on the officer who was manning a routine Eskimos game-day blockade by himself southwest of Commonwealth Stadium at 107A avenue and 92 Street. The officer was outside his vehicle, which had its lights flashing to improve visibility.

At around 8:15 p.m., a man driving a white Chevrolet Malibu crashed into the barricades set up to keep pedestrians separated from vehicles.

The vehicle struck the officer “sending him flying through the air 15 feet before colliding with the officer’s cruiser” at high speed.

The suspect, believed to be 30 years old, then got out of his vehicle and attacked the officer with a knife. The officer was stabbed multiple times before the suspect fled on foot northbound on 92 Street.

A U-Haul box truck was tipped over after a police chase west down Jasper Avenue on Saturday Sept. 30, 2017. Ian Kucerak / Edmonton Journal
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The officer was transported to hospital and the chief said he is not in critical condition.

Immediately after the incident, Knecht said information about the registered owner of the vehicle was broadcast to patrol officers across the city.

A manhunt was underway when before midnight the suspect was pulled over at a police check stop on Wayne Gretzky Drive and 112 Avenue driving a U-Haul truck. When the officer asked to see a driver’s licence, he recognized the name as being similar to that of the registered owner of the Malibu used in the earlier attack. The suspect fled the scene with at least a dozen police vehicles in pursuit.

Pedestrians targeted in downtown chase

A high speed chase ensued with the suspect racing west down Jasper Avenue into the downtown, where Knecht said the suspect “deliberately tried to hit pedestrians in crosswalks and alleys” at two areas along the route. Four pedestrians were struck and were subsequently transported to hospital. There is no information on their condition.

Shortly after the pedestrians were run down, the suspect’s vehicle overturned on 100 Avenue just south of Jasper “due to police interaction,” said Knecht.

The driver was arrested and is now in police custody.

Witnesses who saw the chase and pedestrians being struck described the scene as chaotic.

‘There were people flying’

Just before midnight Kim Anderson was waiting for her bus when she saw the U-Haul hit pedestrians near Jasper Avenue and 107 Street.

“There were people flying and everything,” she said. “I’m shocked — I just see people flying.”

At the Matrix Hotel on 100 Avenue and 106 Street, right across from where the truck overturned, Natalie Pon was at a wedding.

She said guests heard loud bangs like gunshots. Staff kept them away from the windows as the situation unfolded.

When she snapped a photo of the U-Haul there was a “huge hole” in the windshield of the truck. But she didn’t see a suspect.

“We caught wind this was happening outside, so we saw it after the fact.”

Pat Hannigan said he was across the street when he saw the truck flip over.

“They (police) were pulling him out of the windshield, then handcuffed him,” he said.

Brian McNeill was sitting on the back of a pickup truck when he saw the U-Haul going about 80 kilometres per hour, chased by 14 to 20 police vehicles.

“Holy shit, this is too fast,” he thought as he watched vehicles driving west on Jasper Avenue.

He says the truck hit two pedestrians and disappeared. Then he says he heard what he believed was a gunshot.

McNeill questioned why a high-speed chase was allowed to happen in the downtown. “That should have never happened,” he said.

Chief justifies high-speed chase

Knecht addressed those concerns at his news conference, saying the seriousness of the crime dictated why the chase continued.

The chief also said police had no forewarning of the attack and they believe the suspect acted alone. However Knecht also cautioned that “the investigation is in the early stages, and we are urging Edmontonians to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings.”

An injured person is loaded on to an ambulance outside the The Pint bar on 109 Street near Jasper Avenue after police arrested a suspect following a high-speed chase where several pedestrians were struck. Ian Kucerak / Postmedia
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“Contact police if you see anything suspicious or hear anything suspicious,” he said.

Several hours after the officer was attacked, the white sedan with a damaged front end sat between two police vehicles near a darkened grocery store adjacent to a Crown Liquor store. The trunk on the sedan was popped open and the scene was bordered by yellow police tape.

A police hat and what appeared to be a yellow police vest lay on the ground near the car.

Police diverting traffic

A heavy police presence had blanketed Edmonton’s inner city after the initial incident as the manhunt ramped up.

Police were stopping vehicles and peering inside with flashlights throughout the area.

Officers were also seen stopping traffic on the High Level Bridge as well as maintaining a presence on the
Walterdale Bridge.

One complication, although it appeared to transpire without incident, was the thousands of fans exiting Commonwealth Stadium after the Eskimos game very near the first crime scene. But traffic was diverted and remained orderly.

​A man who stabbed a police officer with a knife and deliberately plowed into pedestrians on Edmonton's busiest downtown strip is being investigated for "acts of terrorism," police said at a news conference early Sunday.

A 30-year-old man is in custody following a high-speed chase just before midnight through streets filled with bar patrons and football fans. The chase ended only after a white U-Haul van the man was driving struck four pedestrians and flipped on its side.

Knecht confirmed that a black ISIS flag was seized from a car where the police officer was attacked. The officer was not critically injured. The condition of the four pedestrians is not known.

"Based on evidence at the scenes and the actions of the suspect ... it was determined that these incidents are being investigated as acts of terrorism," Knecht said.

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The first attack happened at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday near Commonwealth Stadium, where an officer was working traffic control for a CFL game.

Knecht said the officer was standing behind a barricade when a Chevrolet Malibu crashed into it, hit the officer and sent him flying 4.5 metres into the air.

"A male believed to be 30 years old then jumped out of his vehicle and viciously attacked the Edmonton Police Service member with a knife," Knecht said. "A struggle then ensued, during which the male suspect stabbed the officer several times before fleeing the scene on foot, northbound down 92nd Street.

The officer was taken to hospital, but his injuries are not critical.

At around 10 p.m., police told a news conference that a manhunt was underway, but there was no threat to the public.

Just before midnight, a white U-Haul van was pulled over at a Checkstop on the north side of town. When a police officer checked the driver's name, he recognized it as being similar to the name of the registered owner of the car that had struck the officer at Commonwealth Stadium.

'The police cars just kept coming'

The U-Haul immediately sped off toward downtown Edmonton, where streets were filled with Saturday night bar crowds and football fans.

As bystanders watched, the van barrelled down Jasper Avenue with up to 20 police vehicles following.

"The police cars just kept coming. They just kept coming," said Jaylene Ellard, who was out with a friend on the crisp fall evening.

Another witness said the vehicles were driving up to 80 km/h in the 50 km/h zone.

"That high-speed chase should have never, ever in a million years have happened downtown," said Brian McNeill, who was in a parking lot with a group of friends when the vehicles sped past.

One witness said police cars began to block streets that connect to Jasper Avenue. The U-Haul eventually doubled back and drove the opposite way down Jasper Avenue. Near 107th Street the van struck at least two pedestrians.

"Throughout the chase, the U-Haul truck deliberately attempted to hit pedestrians in crosswalks and alleys in two areas along Jasper Avenue," Knecht said.

Eventually, the van flipped and landed on its side.

Pat Hannigan was about a quarter-block away when he heard a loud bang.

"I saw the van on its side, it flipped over, U-Haul van," he said. "And they had a guy handcuffed on the ground and obviously they smashed out the window. They had a pipe or something in their hand."

Knecht said officers did not stop the chase along the busy downtown street "due to the seriousness of the offence — or the believed offence."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement of support on Sunday.

"The Government of Canada and Canadians stand with the people of Edmonton after the terrorist attack on Saturday," he said. "I am deeply concerned and outraged by this tragedy.

"Our thoughts are with those injured, their family and friends, and all those affected by this senseless act of violence. While the investigation continues, early reports indicate that this is another example of the hate that we must remain ever vigilant against. The RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, through the Integrated National Enforcement Team, are working closely together to bring those involved to justice.

"We cannot – and will not – let violent extremism take root in our communities. We know that Canada's strength comes from our diversity, and we will not be cowed by those who seek to divide us or promote fear."

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale issued a statement as well, saying the National Terrorism Threat Level for Canada "remains at 'medium,' where it has stood since the fall of 2014."

Police are scheduled to hold another news conference at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Edmonton police are working with the RCMP's Integration National Security Enforcement Teams on the investigation.

"We cannot – and will not – let violent extremism take root in our communities. We know that Canada's strength comes from our diversity, and we will not be cowed by those who seek to divide us or promote fear." -- Justin Trudeau

I wonder if he has a set of beads, and he mutters platitudes as he works around his rosary.

My bet: he has a solution to the problem -- more unvetted Moslems.

Never mind what he says, I hope the coppers are finding out who this unidentified no-name guy hangs around with ... (the lack of a description is how we know the perp is a Moslem in Canada.)

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